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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

H. 0. PHASE.

LEATHER SPLITTING MACHINE.

No. 403,486. Patented May 14, 1889.

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'NTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY C. PEASE, OF \VORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR'OF ONE- IIALF TO LESTER J. PEASE, OF SAME PLACE.

LEATHER-SPLITTING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 403,486, dated May 14, 1889.

Application filed October 2'7, 1888.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY O. PEASE, a citizen of the United States, residing at WVorcester, in the county of W'orcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Leather-Splitting Machines, of which the following, together with the accompanying drawings, is a specification sufficiently full, clear, and exact to enable persons skilled in the art to which this invention appertains to make and use the same.

The object of my present invention is to provide a leather-splitting machine of improved general construction, and to render the machine more efficient and desirable for service.

A feature of my invention consists in a leather-splitting machine having the top-roll housings, or upper part of the frame, separable from the bed and adapted to be tilted for giving access to the knife-bed and lower roll, and provided with suitable means for securing the same in position.

Another feature consists in the employment of pivotally-supported j ournal-boxes mounted on swinging levers or han gers for carrying the lower roll.

Other features comprise the peculiar and efficient arrangement of the pressure-spring with its rocking support, means for the convenient adjustment of the spring-tension, and also the facilities for relieving the pressure of the spring when desired.

Another feature consists in providing the breastapron with a lip or wrinkle-breaker, over which the leather can be drawn for straightening or removing wrinkles.

Another feature consists in a knife guard or cap having an upwardly-curved deflector in rear of the rolls.

The minor features of my invention, together with the construction and operation of the several parts of the mechanism,are fully explained in the following description, the particular subject-matter claimed being hereinafter definitely specified.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front View of myimproved leather-splitting machine. Fig. 2 is a plan view with the top removed. Fig. 3 is a vertical central section. Fig. at is a sectional view showing the relative arrange- Serial No. 289,259. (No model.)

ment of the feeding and splitting mechanism, drawn to somewhat larger scale. Fig. 5 is a side View of one of the hanger-levers and pivoted journal-box for, supporting the lower roll, and Fig. 6 shows the detail of the mechanism for supporting the spring.

Referring to parts, A indicates the bed frame or body of the machine. This frame is made integral, or as a single casting, with the front and rear longitudinal portions solidly joined together at their ends, the top and bottom being properly planed off to receive the uprights or top-roll-housing frames A and the legs A which latter are cast in pairs and are firmly bolted to the under side of the bed A, as indicated.

B indicates the operating-shaft supported in bearings a a at the rear of the bed, and provided with pulleys B for the driving-belt, and with pinion-gears b b, that transmit motion to the gears c and d d, to operate the rolls 0 and D. The upper roll, D, serves as a gage-roll, and has its journal-boxes D mounted to slide up and down in guideways in the housing-frame A, said boxes being provided with screw-threaded bosses and connected to the adjusting-screws E, which are journaled vertically in the top part of the housings, and arranged to be simultaneously rotated for raising or lowering the boxes D and gage-roll D by means of a transverse shaft, G, arranged at the top of the machine and furnished with a suitable hand-wheel and gears, as indicated. The upper parts of the housings A are rigidly and firmly connected by an arch-girt, A that extends across the machine and forms a solid connection between the two housings.

The two housing-frames A are separable from the bed A, and are severally pivoted or hinged at their rear part, preferably upon the shaft B, as at f, so that said housings, together with the arch-girt A and top roll, D, can be tilted or swung over backward (see dotted lines, Fig. 3) for giving access to the knife and lower roll, 0, to facilitate the adjustment of the knife-edge to proper relation. with the roll.

The lower parts of the housings are provided with ears h, that rest upon the bed A and receive clamping-bolts H, by which the housings are rigidly secured in position upon the bed; The bolts H at the front of the machine may be arranged, as indicated, with the head of the bolt pivoted in the slotted ear or bracket h, that projects from the front of the bed-frame and in a manner to have its screwthreaded end swing up into the slotted ear h of the housing-frame, where its nut can be screwed down, firmly clamping the housing upon said bed.

Across the front of the machine there is arranged an inclined feed-apron, I, havingan upwardly-proj ecting longitudinal lip or wrinklebreaker, 1', located at a short distance from and parallel to the bite of the feed-rolls, in the manner illustrated, over which the leather can be drawn as itruns into the roll for straightening and removing the Wrinkles.

This apron is supported at its end, which has cars I that are bolted to the movable housings, and the apron swings over with said housings when the latter is tilted.

The knife K is supported on the rear part of the bed, and is surmounted. by a cap or guard-plate, K, which plate is provided with an'upwardly-curved lip or flange, K that extends from end to end of the plate and serves as a deflector for directing the split leather ,upward, so that it can be conveniently drawn forward by the attendant between the top roll, D, and arch girt A The forward edge of the plate or guard K is thin and fits down closely upon the top of the knife, so that there is no chance for stock to become caught on the edge, and from thence its surface extends backward -and upward with a concave curvature to the top of the flange or lip K the curvature being on a radius somewhat greater than the surface of the roll D. The bolts 00, which hold the knife to its bed, pass through the guard-plate K, the heads of the bolts being in rear of and protected from interfering with the work by the flange K With this method of fastening the knife simply needs to be slotted for the bolts 00, it not being necessary to countersink the metal of the knife for the bolt-heads, as is done in the ordinary manner of secnring the knife in order that the bolt-heads may be flush with the surface. The bolts or screws 41: for setting the knife forward are arranged in the back of the bed to operate in the usual manner.

At the respective ends of the bed and pivoted thereto, as at L, I arrange hanging levers L, having upwardly-projecting ears Z, between which the j ournal-boxes O of the feedroll 0 are pivoted by means of the'point-ed screws J, which extend through the ears Z and enter recesses in the sides of the journal-boxes, in the 'manner illustrated in Fig. 5, so that the said journal-boxes can swing on the axial line of their pivotscrews, while the hangers or levers L can swing up and down on the studs L for carrying the journalboxes and feed-r0110 to or from the gage-roll D. The journal-boxes C are thus capable of swinging action in a plane coincident with the longitudinal axis of the roll 0, while the levers L are pivoted at L to swing in a plane perpendicular to said longitudinal axis, affords a universal adj ustmentfor the j ournal-bearings,

and adapts the feed-roll for assuming inclined positions in relation to the gage-roll D without liability of cramping or straining the journals or other parts of the mechanism. The screws J are best provided with checknuts or' cramping devices j to prevent them from working loose by the jar of the mechanism.

A bolt, L is arranged through a slot in the lever L and screwed into the bed to keep the lever in proper lateral relation to the end of the frame. An adjustable stop-screw, J, fitted in the forward end of the lever L, strikes a lug, h projecting from the bracket 71, on the bed-frame, and prevents the lever from being raised so high that the rollO will strike the edge of the knife K. The two hanger-levers at the opposite ends of the machine are respectively connected by suitable links, N, and pivot-studs n n with the ends of a bar, N, that extends across the machine beneath the bed, and is supported at its respective ends upon an upwardly-pressing spring, M, composed of a series of flat curved leaves arranged to form a half-elliptical or inverted bow spring, as illustrated. Said spring is supported at its center on a rocker and supporting devices carried by a hanger, A, that, in the present instance, is fixed to and depends from the central front part of the bed, and is arranged to have free rocking action -in the following manner: The lower part of the hanger A is provided with a vertical guideway or retainingjaw in which is fitted a bearing-b1ock,P, preferably adapted to slide up and down, having in its upper side a cylindrical groove or cavity, and a small cylinder, P, of corresponding curvature, is laid in said cavity, the length of said cylinder being substantially the same as the distance across the guideway or the width of the bearingblock P. The spring supporting block or rocker M, which is provided with a similar cylindrical groove in its lower side, rests upon the cylinder P, said cylinder thus-serving as a dog to hold the parts together laterally, and also as a center or hinge for permitting the free tipping action of the rocker and spring, so that said spring can conform to the action of the roll 0 and bar N, and give uniform pressure at both ends when one end of the roll is depressed more than the other, as when working stock of unequal thickness. An adjusting-screw, S, is arranged in the lower end of the hanger, by means of which the guideblock P and rocker M can be adjusted up or down for increasing or diminishing the spring. The spring-rocker M is best made with upwardly-projecting ears m at its ends for retaining the leaves of the spring from lateral displacement, and the bar N is also provided iIo with depending ears or lugs m at its ends for retaining the ends of the spring in con nection therewith.

Q indicates a lever fulcrumed at its end 25 upon the frame and bearing upon or connected with the bar N, and having its opposite end connected by a rod or link, Q, with treadle mechanism T, by means of which the bar N can be drawn down for depressing the spring M and relieving the pressure upon the feedroll C, when desired, by the operator placing his foot upon the treadle T. The depressinglevers Q are here shown as placed transversely in relation to the bar N, but, if preferred, can be disposed longitudinally therewith.

c indicates a spring attached to the housing-casting, with its end extending through an opening therein and engaging with the journal-box D for pressing said box upward to take up any backlash or looseness of the screw-threads that may occur by reason of wear on the adj USlJlllg-SCTQWS or the boxes.

A bar or rod, his arranged across the machine just forward of the roll D, as shown, which rod serves as a guard to prevent liability of the attendant having his fingers caught by the bite of the roll as the stock is being fed in. Said rod is inserted through a hole in one of the housings A, and is retained by a single screw, at 7;, so that by loosening the screw the rod can be readily removed.

The guard-rod WV can be omitted, if in any instance it is preferred to run the machine without it.

I claim as my invention, to be secured by Letters Patent- 1. In a leather-splitting machine, the bedframe A, formed in one casting, with bearings a, for the operating shaft, as shown, the top housings, A, supported on said bed-frame and separable therefrom at the plane of the knifeseat, said housings having hinges f, that work on the operating-shaft as an axis, and forwardly-projecting ears 7L, that receive detachable fastening-bolts H, in combination with the operating-shaft, knife, feed and gage rolls, and roll-gearing, all substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. 111 a leather-splittin g machine, the housings A, separable from the bed-frame in line with the knife and hinged at f upon the 0perating-shaft B to swing over backward, carrying the gage-roll, its adjustable journalboxes and adj USilllg-SOI'QWS, and the arch-girt A rigidly connecting the tops of said housings one with the other above the rolls, as shown, with the screw-adjusting shaft G, having its bearings within said girt, all combined substantially as shown and described.

3. In a leather-splitting machine, the swinging levers L, disposed transversely to the axis of the feedroll and having their rear ends f ulcrumed upon the knife-bed frame, their forward ends being upwardly and downwardly movable, and the feed-roll journal-boxes supported by center pivots between upwardlyprojecting ears fixed upon said levers, in combin ation with the gage-roll, knife, knife-bed, and feed-roll, and the spring and yielding connections that exert lifting action on said levers, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. The combination, with the gage-roll D, feed-roll C, bed-frame A, and knife K, of the feed-roll j0urnal-b0xes 0, supported on the screw-points or centering-pivots J to have swinging action in a plane coincident with the roll-axis, and the box-supporting levers carrying said pivots fulcrumed, as described, to have swinging action in a plane perpendicular to the roll-axis, the yielding supporting-connections, and the half-elliptic or bow spring for sustaining said levers, substantially as set forth.

5. In a machine for the purpose specified, the combination of the gage-roll D, the yielding feed-roll C, the swinging arms or levers L, fulcrumed at their rear on the frame, the feedroll journal-boxes C, supported on said arms, the links IT, pressure-bar N, and spring M, all substantially as set forth.

6. In a machine for the purpose specified, the combination, with the gage-roll, knife, yielding feed-roll, and swinging levers whereon the feed-roll journal-boxes are pivotally supported, of the adjustable stop-screws J, fitted in the forward ends of said levers, and lugs k2 on the frame, against which said screws engage, as set forth.

'7. Ina machine for the purpose specified, the combination, with the knife, gage-roll, feed-roll, feed-roll j on rnal-boxes, and yielding journal-box supporters, of a connecting-bar extending across the machine beneath the roll and joining said supporters, a half-elliptic or flat-leaf bow-spring centrally mounted on a rocking support and having its respective ends resting against the respective ends of said bar for giving upward pressure on said journal box supporters and feed-roll, and means, substantially as described, for increasing or diminishing the tension of said springs, as set forth.

8. The combination, substantially as described, of the roll D, yielding roll C, its pivotally-supported journal-boxes O, the pointed screws or pivoting-studs J, the hanger-levers L, having ears Z, carrying said studs, the fulcrum-pivots L, the adjusting stop-screws J, and lugs 72.2, the link N, link-connecting bar N, and flat-leaf bow-spring M, centrally supported on its hanger, with its respective ends engaging the respective ends of said bar for giving upward pressure on said journal-supporting levers, as set forth.

9. In a machine for the purpose specified, the combination, substantially as described, of the spring M, its supporting-hangerA, having the retaining-jaw, the grooved bearingblock P and spring-supporting rocker M the cylinder or bar P, fitted between said bearing-block and rocker, and the adj Listing-screw S, as set forth.

10. In a machine for the purpose specified,

- said rod, all substantially as and for the pur connecting-rod Q, attached to the arm of said lever, and treadle mechanism for actuating pose set forth.

12. In a machine for the purpose specified, the guard-rod W, located near and forward of the feed-roll D, and extending across the machine, with its ends supported on the housingframes, in combination with the rolls D and C and feed-apron I, substantially as set forth.

Witness my hand this 25th day of October, A. D. 1 888.

HENRY C. PEASE.

Witnesses:

CHAS. H. BURLEIGH, ELLA P. BLENUS. 

